Tooth guide



Dec. 5, 1933. A* W. GREEN 1,938,222

TOOTH GUIDE Filed Nov. 22, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Arf/1w M4 rea/1.

A. w. GREEN Dec. 5, 1933.

TOOTH GUIDE 2 sneefsheez 2 Filed Nov. 22, .1932

H/er1 for Arf/luf W me/1.

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1 to the dentist and relatively ypositioned to A` p1iab1e surfaces of the holder.

My invention also has a furtherobject in providing a mask with parted lips and a suspension Patented Dec. 5, 1933 'roo'rHGUInElw l Arthur GreelnNew York, N. Y.; assignor to The Dentists.

Supply Co corporation of New York' `pany of New York, a

Applieationwvember 22,1932 'Serial No. 6435816 s claims. (ci. :i5-is);

l y The object of my inventionis in the lnature of an artificial .tooth guide Vwhich Ain the hands `of ak dentist enables him to select the desirable forms of teeth especially suitable to the kcharacteristic features of thepatients headand face 4and which may, afterselection, be positioned in a suitable holder detachably connected with a mask Y so that the appearance of theteeth in natural position in the mouth portion of the mask gives andto the patient also a clearly defined natural impression of what the teeth Would'be if built up into complete dentures and inthe mouth of the patient. y

A furtherobject of my invention is to construct` the holder for the articial Ateeth in a curved form constituting an arc of about 120 l and having upper and lower curved surfaces of pliable material to whichgthe upper and lower vsets of frontal teeth maybe respectively secured correspond `to the the teeth as they correct relative positions of would appear inthe iinal denture, the said holder 'A being detachably secured to a support whichmay 25 be heldin the hand or positioned to the rear of the mask, as-hereinbeforeexplained, it being understood that the dentist selects the tooth forms which he considers best suitable to the vcharacteristic head and facial contours of the `patient and then attaches the saidteeth to the device to the rear of the mask andv adjacent to the aperture formed by the lips thereof when as- Vbled frontal tooth forms,mwhereby they `may be viewed from the front ofthe mask and whereby Y also different tooth forms may in proper relative association be successively viewed through ,the

' mouth opening of the said mask. f

In generaLthe object of my invention-'is to setup in physical form frontal teeth `more or less resembling dentures with the teeth assembled inproper correlation, but which teeth `to-be employed are rst determined by use `of an instrument known as the "Wavrin Trytype Tooth Guide which is` of the general character shown in Letters Patent No, 1,378,745, dated May 27,1921, and which guide being adjusted to the head of the patient determines the'tooth type, l tapering, square or ovoid, together with the lengthv and width of the tooth form best suited to the-patient, and which are thereafter assembled whichfor the purpose'` of cated in Figs. 1 and 3.k

sociated with detachable `holders for the assem- `in ,the curved holders which are-detachably posi-y tioned to `therear of` the mask structure above 1 referred to.

With the labove and other objects in view, the nature of which will l be more fully understood frornthe followingV specification, the invention consists in the novel features of construction hereinafter more fully described and dene'd'i'n the claims.v 1 f l,

Referring, to the drawings: Fig. 1 is a' frontl vviewof a mask with artificial teeth applied therel to in accordance withmy invention; Fig. 2 is a. rear view of the improved'mask and withthedetachable tooth holder support imposition;V Fig.

, 3 is a vertical section on line 3-3lof Fig. 1, showing the intimate relationot the'artiflci'al teeth.70 in relation to the lip portions of the maskfV Fig. 4 is aperspective view of oneof the tooth holders with the teeth applied thereto ready to be appliedl to the maskand support shown `in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 v is a perspective view of the support f or'theto'oth` 7 5 holders when `separated from the nask; Fig. 6" is a front view of the tooth holder and with the, teeth appliedthereto; and Fig. 71s a perspective view of the tooth holder before the teeth are applied thereto. "l 8 0 2` represents a. mask which may be formed of any suitable material, preferablylof plast'en-,and

my invention may be confined tothe lower portion of the face, as indi- The nose structure is indicated at 3.and the aperture betweenthe lips 5 and rconstitutes' the slightly openmouth por-V tion 4 through which the articial uteeth 17f'and" 18 may be viewed.

At the rear and to each side fthe 'radin-neo `opening 4, the mask is kprovidedvvs/ ith reinforced ff proximately't to the rear of theadjac'ent 95l to the lip opening 4, the `saidsupportplate 10 being provided with upwardly projecting pins 12, l2, by means `of which the tooth holder `13.,Inay be detachably isecured in position upon ,the plate and immediately to the rear of thev lip openingf4,. as shown in Fig. 3..` snugly fit the rear slits 9 of the mask and provider `thereby a reasonable degree of adjustment so as f The spring shaped ends '11 to enablefthe teeth 17 `and 18 to beubrought upto l approximate contact with the rear lip portions,

as also better understood by` reference toFig. 3.

Referring moreparticularly to the tooth holder 13 shown in'Figs. 4, 6 and 7, there is provided a trough-shaped body portion of sheet metal preferablyofaIuminum curved in arcuate form to V the extent of approximately 120, the said holder provided with an upper ange 20 and lower iiange 21, and preferably an intermediate shouldered portion 19 at the rear part 14 of the troughshaped structure. The groove of the arcuate shaped holder 13 is filled with wax or wax-like material 16 and 16a, the curved wax portion 16 following the curvature of the upper flange 20 and being somewhat conical so as to provide an overhanging portion 16e in respect to the lower curved wax portion 16a. This latter part 16a. is also preferably made somewhat conical, but in the opposite direction to that `of the part 16.` The holder with the wax filling'is clearly shown in Fig. 7 to which the teeth have not yet been attached.

In Figs. 3, 4 and 6, the teeth 1'7l and 18 are.

shown as positioned upon and attached to the curved wax lling portions 16 and 16a; and moreover as the upper frontal teeth 17 are required to overlap the lower frontal teeth 18, it will be seen that the lower teeth are attached to the curved wax filling 16a while the upper frontal teeth 17 rest upon and are attached to the curved wax filling 16, so that the incisal edges of the said teeth 17 overlap the incisal edges of the lower frontal teeth 18, as is more clearly illustrated in Fig. 3.

The arcuate body portion 13 has its lower rear portion provided with loops 15 pressed up from the sheet metal to form socket portions to receive the pins 12 of the support 10. The connection between the parts 12 and 15 is relatively loose so that the tooth holder 13 may easily fit down upon the pins 12 and rest upon the support 10 adjacent to its front curved edge.

The teeth shown are pin teeth, the pins of which are embedded in the wax of the tooth holder 13 and assist in maintaining the positioning of the teeth upon the wax filling of the trough-like tooth holder.

The utility of my improvements will now be understood by the following procedure: With the use of the Wavrin Trutype Guide, the proper `type of tooth, its length and its width, is determined and thereupon the twelve frontal teeth of "the upper and lower jaws are selected together with their color or shade. The lower teeth are first positioned upon and attached to the lower conical filling surface 16a of the tooth holder 13, and thereafter the upper frontal teeth 1'7 are also determined by use of the Wavrin Guide and placed upon the upper conical wax surface 16, and so as to overlap the incisal edges of the lower As these teeth are all posivtioned on the wax filling of the holder, it is evi- `dent that the teeth may be set in any relative alinement or angularity desired to cause them to look natural, and whether they look natural may be determined by placing the tooth holder with the teeth thereon in position upon the support 10 1n close relation to the open mouth of the mask,

as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3. Several of the tooth holders with different types of teeth and modified relative arrangement may be made up for alternating trial in the mask, with the object in view of the patient securing'the most natural and facial characteristics.

type of teeth suitable to the contours of his head In this connection it is also desirable that teeth of a shade consistent with the shade and color suitable for the patient may be selected in the trial teeth so that the dentist or laberatory experts may prepare dentures of the character required.

By use of the procedure herein outlined, it is manifest that the dentist and his assistants have every opportunity to build up an illustrative denture including both upper and lower teeth, either or both, which may be supported in a mask and thereby obviate all necessity of treating the teeth or associated means to a sterilizing or other purifying manipulation such as would be required where the experimental or test dentures are made to iit the mouth of the patient, as has heretofore been attempted.

I have described my improved means in that particularity which I deem to be the best exposition of my invention and that which I prefer in commercial practice, but I do not restrict or confine myself to the minor or secondary details, as such are susceptible of modification which may be resorted to as a matter of mechanical skill and without a departure from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. Means for positioning upper and lower sets of frontal teeth of selected size and shape, which consists of a normally rigid tooth holder having upper and lower grooved portions each containing an arcuate channel filled with wax-like mate-- rial, the lower channel of which is fitted with the lower frontal teeth and the upper channel of which protrudes beyond the lower channel and is iitted with the upper frontal teeth, said teeth and channels being in fixed relation and with.

the incisal edge of the upper teeth overhanging the incisal edge of the lower teeth.

2. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further, the to oth holder and its associated upper and lower teeth are combined with a common.

shield having an aperture of less width and height than the space occupied by the teeth whereby the upper and lower portions of the frontal teeth are shielded from view.

3. Means for positioning upper and lower sets.

of frontal teeth of selected size and shape, which consists of a normally rigid tooth holder having upper and lower portions relatively connected whereby the incisal edges of the upper teeth overlap the incisal edges of the lower teeth, said upper and lower teeth respectively arranged in similar arcuate form, and wherein further, the upper and lower teeth form a unitary structure and associated with a mask having a mouth-like opening and means to temporarily support the unitary.

to the holder may be viewed through the mask and from the front thereof, and the mask also being provided with a detachable support secured in position at the rear of the mask adjacent to the mouth opening thereof for detachably supporting the tooth holder and its associated upper and lower teeth in position at the immediate rear of the mask, and whereby different set-ups of teeth and their holders may be substituted one for another in an effort to secure tooth forms suitable for the requirements of the patient.

5. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further, the tooth holder is associated with a mask having a mouth-like opening constituting a mouth piece and through which the assembled teeth attached to the holder may be viewed through the mask and from the front thereof, and ld said support and the arcuate-shaped tooth holder which holds the tooth holder in position at the rear of the mouth portion of the mask.

6. The invention according to claim 1, wherein further, the arcuate upper and lower portions lof wax or wax-like substance for simultaneously holding the teeth are made slightly conical, the

radial curvature of the upper arcuate portiony being greater than the'radial curvature of the lower arcuate portion.

W. GREEN. 

